Dave, M fans still have nightmares about the last time they faced a Dan Mullen coached team. Suspect nearly all M fans are numb and apathetic re our future bowl game after another OSU beatdown.
Bobda, That Michigan team had a Gator Bowl defense..... and Mullen's MSU team was on a mission for respect. This Michigan team has a playoff defense.... even though they were shell-shocked yesterday by the Buckeyes. Plus Harbaugh will have 5 weeks to stew and be angry and will have his team frothing by Jan. 1st.
I have a theory on the reason this game went like it did. 1. Ohio State has a lot of talent, while I haven't done any research I'll bet that in every recruiting class that was on the field yesterday for the game that the Ohio State classes ranked higher every year than the Michigan classes. So this wasn't a case of Michigan having better players. Not saying that Michingan didn't have a lot of talent but there wasn't a talent gap between the squads. 2. Ohio State has had an unusual year that I have no doubt lead to some problems that resulted in the Purdue game and some other games that were closer than they ordinarily would have been. It started back in the summer with the Zach Smith deal, with Urban being suspended for the entire training camp and then not coaching the first 3 games. Not to mention all the negative publicity and stuff that went on around the program as a result. Uncertainty about Urban's health. All of it was negative juju. 3. Michigan on the other hand was riding high on a winning streak after the Notre Dame loss with as the year went on creating a lot of positives around Harbaugh and the team. Harbaugh finally had the team he'd been trying to build all along. 4. Then we have a week where Michigan gets a comfortable, but not great, win over IU and Ohio State has to go to OT to beat an unranked Maryland team. 5. Week leading up to the game, is all Michigan, all about the elite defense, about how Ohio State won't be able to handle it even at home in Columbus. It's Michigan's time, Harbaugh's time. Talented Buckeyes have to basically eat **** all week. Desmond Howard. Think maybe inside that locker room Buckeyes weren't pissed and ready to come together as a team and play up to their potential? I think UM was ambushed by a team they thought might roll over after the elite defense hit'em in the Mouth a couple of times and Shea Patterson the QB that Harbaugh had been waiting 3 years to get into Michigan colors would do his thing and the losing streak would be over. I think it was set up perfectly, in the end, for Ohio State to find themselves and exorcise the demons of the 2018 season.
Thanks Bobda, gracious as always. I expected us to play well at home, but didn't expect the OL to play as well as they did against a very good M front. Haskins had a clean pocket to throw from all day long and it was the difference in the game. M has had a fine season and I expect a solid victory in the bowl game. Go Blue!
BT, Thanks. I am not on the fire Harbaugh train. He inherited a program that had imploded and has had three 10 win seasons in his 4 years here. The program is now on a much more solid footing. But, I am still trying to process yesterday. I really thought we could go to Columbus and do well and was stunned how that game swirled into an epic rout. OSU fans probably had similar emotions after last year's Iowa game and this year's Purdue game and it is not uncommon for a team on the road to implode when facing an rival inspired by the magnitude of the game and its home crowd. But, putting that to the side, it still seems that there is still a notable talent gap that favors OSU in players and coaches.
Bobda, When Florida won the SEC east two years in a row back in 2015 and 2016 I knew that we were going to be outclassed in Atlanta by Bama in the SEC Title game.... and therefore it was no surprise when it happened. I didn't see that as a possibility yesterday.... I thought it was Michigan who clearly had the better team going in so that outcome did shock me and I'm sure it shocked most if not all Michigan fans as well.
Dave After reading some of the comments on mgoblog, describing the fan mood as shocked might be an understatement. The mood is like the reaction of surviving villagers after their town was razed to the ground by the Wehrmacht. I suspect a lot of greying fans like myself may have had unrealistic expectations about how high H could build the program in several years. Recruiting seems tougher now in the Midwest than it was in the past for various reasons and the memory of past eras probably distorted our ability to comprehend all of the dry rot in the program that developed in Carr's last years and the Rich Rod and Hoke tenures. Plus, our perception that Harbaugh was in the same coaching category as Urban or Saban may have been tainted by our maize colored lenses.
I'm starting to think that Urban, Saban and perhaps Swinney are in a whole class by themselves. Maybe H is in the second group a step behind.... at least until he can get over that OSU hurdle.
Ohio State Social Media having some fun with M fans. http://www.wtol.com/2018/11/25/ohio-state-posts-second-video-sad-michigan-fans-after-osu-destroys-wolverines-/
Thanks Don, it's always a treat sharing M week with the good guys on the Skybox! The best of the holidays to you and yours as well!
Rashan Gary has announced he'll be leaving for the NFL. I wonder if he'll play in the Michigan bowl game. More and more kids are opting out of bowl games to avoid the risk of injury in an exhibition game. It started with McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette in 2016 and last year there were quite a few. I expect there will be even more this year.
Michigan move to the B10 West? This guy thinks it's time to shake things up and move out of the same division as the Buckeyes. https://mgoblog.com/comment/243207250
How about this guy? https://mgoblog.com/diaries/michigan-good-not-elite-and-won%27t-be-elite-without-different-worse-institutional-standards
Hahahahahaha! That guy is busy coming up with baseless accusations to support his team's failures. Where were all of these reasons when Harbaugh was hired and he was going to beat Meyer, Saban and Swinny? Now.that he cant , it's because we are.all paying players? It's amazing! Maybe Harbaugh needs to keep his team at home for spring training instead of wasting all of that time, MONEY, and energy going out of town. What a load of ********!
Understandable that the Michigan fan base took such a hit... was so surprised by the results on Sat. as we all were that they are left grasping for straws of explanantion. I think he's right that the elite teams have elite players and great coaches.... but that's not to say that they were acquired by not following the rules etc. Right now at UF I think we have what could turn out to be an elite head coach.... but he will need a few more elite players to sign up before we're ready to get on the field with Clemson and Alabama. Fortunately Florida is a place that has a large abundance of very elite players so I think Mullen will eventually get what he needs. In the meantime Harbaugh can get well in the bowl season if he draws Florida as an opponent... and I truly hope that is not the case.
MCG, well the good news is that if Michigan wins it will be because of superior coaching and personnel and if they lose it will because Florida cheats! :roll: